Post date: Jul 09, 2013 6:43:1 PM
Dear Parents,
Summer is barely one-third done and yet my thoughts and daily to-do list seem to be gravitating towards the plans and possibilities for our upcoming school year together. The purpose of this email is to share some of that with you and get a few dates onto your calendars.
First off, I’d like to thank those of you parents who responded to my email “letter of introduction” of 6/26 and/or filled out the survey. I’ve read all that you wrote and am eager to meet your students and create an exceptional year together. If you (parents) haven’t had a chance to complete that survey, I hope you’ll take time to do so.
Content and Curriculum: As Dale will explain in an upcoming message, this coming year will be a time for students to hit the ground running right from the start due to class looping, and then thrive in their yearlong academic pursuits as they will have tremendous opportunity (and responsibility) for self-directed exploration and in-depth investigation into areas of personal interest and passion. While I am a strong proponent of an integrated and flexible curriculum, I also have a strong desire to expose the kids to a wide range of grade-level (and above) topics in all academic areas. To me, those two perspectives are not mutually exclusive. My plan is to set forth detailed curriculum maps for science, history, and language arts that are aligned to the Common Core Standards that will provide a basic framework or skeletal structure. But the muscle and guts of the year’s content will be created by the deep and dynamic learning that happens when the students dive with head and heart into the areas that inspire and interest them the most. As a team, the students, parents, and teachers will build the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will empower these kids to be innovative and independent, curious and courageous, attentive and tenacious. A truly exciting year awaits us.
Overnight Excursions: As some of you may already know, I believe that learning is experiential and happens best in context of real life and out in the field. To that end, I hope to take the kids on many diverse trips throughout the year including multiple overnight trips. One of the first big trips to put on your calendar is the “Cal Coast Walkabout” on October 8, 9, and 10. This is a three day ($150) journey to and through some great hiking trails and hidden destinations along the coast between Santa Cruz and Marin, with overnights at the hostels at Point Montara (Half Moon Bay) and the Marin Headlands. Here is the page on my site that describes last year's trip for the 8th graders and I will be updating it soon to reflect the specifics for this year's trip. The other two overnight trips to look forward to this coming year will be a two-day (one night) historical and cultural exploration of San Francisco in mid winter, as well as the incredible week-long trip to Yosemite in early spring.
Preparing for Fall: I have a visceral aversion to any advertisements that mention "back-to-school" prematurely and as a pretense for early-bird profits, but just in case you are a plan-ahead kind of shopper or garage-sale opportunist, here is the list of what your student will need as well as some hopes for classroom materials.
Another "prep-for-Fall" item involves the students -- please ask them to write a list of 10 to 20 books that they have read in the past few years as well as a sentence or two that explains some aspect of the book or their feelings about it. In my next email I will link to a form into which they will enter that information.
Gatherings: As I’ve said, I’m very excited about many aspects of this coming year and am eager to get to know you and work with you and your kids. I hope to meet some of you at the 7 grade gathering that I’ve heard about on July 19 and your kids at the middle school mixer on August 19. I also host a Boating and Barbecue event for my 8th grade alumni and families sometime in late July each year, and since some kids in this class have older siblings in that category, I might just see you then!
Sincerely,
Chris Heumann